Crate for eggs or the like



A; A. HERBE R,MANN. CRATE FOR EGGS OR THE LIKE.

Pat ented Apr. 111, 1922.

mmwgo IN VE NTOR J/ Fred J? H/e rbermann WITNESS narrate CRATE FOR EGGS OR THE LIKE.

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Specification of Iaetterslatent. Pgmtkgnt d Apr, 1 1922.

Application filed November 27, 1920.- Serial No. 426,759.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED A. HERBER- MANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Crate for Eggs or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to receptacles, and with regard to its more specific features, to the fillers of the honeycomb type for egg crates or the like. 7

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a filler of simple and inexpensive construction, which shall effectively protect the brittle contents against destruction from rough, handling of the container.

Another object is to provide a filler of the type set forth, which shall preferably be collapsible, shall be easy .to assemble, light in construction, and dependable in use.

Another object is to provide a filler with means attached to the same for providing a bottom or layer constituting the flat between the fillers as they are assembled in a crate or shipping receptacle, thus providing a rigid integral structure.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the following claims.

The invention will be understood from the description taken in connection with the drawings, which show one embodiment of the invention in which the same reference characters refer to the same parts in the different views. In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a crate or shipping receptacle showing a top.

view of my filler in position, I V V Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my filler. Fig. 3 is a side view of one of. the strips of which the filler is made.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the respective ends or sides of my filler.

As conducive to a clear understanding of the invention, attention is called to the fact" I that this invention is concerned principally" with the well known type of crate or ship-,

ping receptacle comprising a receptacle of veneer wood or other suitable material, in

which is placed a plurality of superposed fillers of the honeycomb type, said fillers being separated or divided from each other by flaps or strips that are attached to or carried by the elements of the filler itself. The filler itself comprises two sets of strips intersecting each other at right angles and interlocked by integral tongue and slot contormations, or otherwise interlocked, to render the filler construction collapsible when not in use, and when in use to provide a combined. yet substantially integral filler and fiat, the flat portion afiording a strengthen- 1ng elenient, so that the filler and flat will be rigid, and one will not move with respect to the other, as is the case when a filler and flat are separable from each other.

In the accompanying drawings the filler is shown as composed of seven strips disposed at right angles to eight other strips. Two of the latter strips are assembled adiacent to each other, and some of the latter strips have flaps or extended portions which can be bent to form the bottom ofthe filler, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, thus forming a combined filler and flat.

In Fig. 8 one of the strips 1 is shown as having seven tongue and slot conformations, there being a uniform interval 5 between successive conformations. The slots 2 extend substantially half way across the main body of the strip 1. Integral tongues 3 extend across the slots 2. The lower edge of the main body of the strip is provided with a series of holes 4 in line with the slots 2. The strip 1 is extended so as to provide a flap 6 connected along the lower edge of the strip 1. As seen in Fig. 2, the flap 6 is wide enough to extend substantially to the edge of the filler. Another strip 1 with a flap 6'. as shown in Fig; 2, is provided, as well as two strips 7 having along their lower edges flaps 8 wide enough to extend from the center of the filler to the respective edges thereof. The flaps 8 are preferably weakened along the lines 9 so that they will bend more readily along. this line between the edge which extends along the lower edgevof the strips 7 and the outermost edge of the flaps 8. The purpose of this weakened portion 9 will be further described below.

From the description it will be obvious thatv the individual strips constituting the filler, are duplicates of each other except that some of the strips, as indicated, are extended so to form a flap or bendable portion to constitute the bottom of the filler. Instead of having the flaps integral with the strips themselves the flaps may be made separate and attached along the lower edges of theproper strips in any convenient manner. In order to more easily accommodate the two adjacent strips 7 along the middle portion of the filler the slots 2 in the cross strips may, of course, be made correspondingly somewhat wider.

These fillers are adapted to be placed inside of a receptacle or container C, which is preferably rigid and capable of resisting rough handling. In packing the receptacle or crate a filler, as shown in .Fig. 2, will be placed in the bottom of the receptacle with the flaps 6, 6 and 8 lying fiat against the lower edges of the strips, thus forming a bottom for the filler which act as re-enforcements or bracers to prevent the relative movement between the honeycomb portion of the filler and the flat or bottom portions. The spaces between the intersecting strips "may then be filled with fragile articles to possible with the ordinary filler. This re sult can be obtained because with my im proved filler it is unnecessary to remove a filler and then afterwards remove a cover or layer between the two fillers, but by merely slightly lifting up my filler the flaps will assume approximately the positions in dicated-in Fig. 2, so that the articles in the compartments will gradually slide along the flaps toward the outside of the receptacle and will be gathered in two rows on the opposite sides of the receptacle, from which place they can readily be removed. Due to I the bends 9 in the flaps 8 the articles that were placed in all the rows of compartments, except the first and last ones, will be enabled to slide gradually down the outside portions of the flaps 8 which are not so steeply inclined, and therefore the articles will be less apt to be broken, but will nevertheless becarried close to the outer edges of the receptacle.

My filler may be collapsed when not in.

use and shipped in the collapsed position,

thereby requiring very littlespace, and then it may be readilydistended when ready to be placed in the receptacle or crating box.

For'certain'purposesit may be desirable nam /a2 without de Jar-tin from the s irit or sco 3e of this invention.

.lt is also to be understood that the number of compartmentsshown or indicated in the drawings and above described are merely illustrative, that the filler may be made with any desired number of compartments, and that the number of compartments in vertical rows in Fig. 1 may differ from that in horizontal rows. It is also obvious that my filler may be employed in connection with a cardboard box in which eggs are retailed.

It is also to be understood that my invention is not confined in its application to receptacles for any particular articles, but is especially adaptable formany different sorts of fragile articles that are apt to be broken in transit. The compartments may, of course, be made of different shapes to accommodate the different articles to be shipped by merely varying the spacing of the slots for connecting the interlocking strips. i

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope'thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

ing in opposite directions substantially to the respective edges of said fillerto. form a complete bottom therefor.

2. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips and means attached to an intermediate strip and extending past a plurality of said strips and substantially to the edges of said 'filler'to' form a portion of the bottom of said filler.

3. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, means attached to one of said strips to cover a portion of the bot-. tom of said filler, and means attached to another one of said strips, said second-named means overlapping said first-named means and each extending to the edge of the filler.

4:. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, one ofsaid strips b'e-F" ing extended andbeing capable of being bent to form a part of the bottom of said filler and extending to one end of the filler, and another one oi said strips being similarly extended and bent to form another part of said bottom and extending to the opposite end of said filler.

5. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, one of said strips being extended and being capable of being bent to form a part of the bottom of said filler, and another one otsaid strips being similarly extended and bent to form another part of said bottom, said extensions being bent in opposite directions.

6. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, one of said strips being extended and being capable ot' being bent to form a part of the bottom of said filler and extending to the sides and end of said filler, and another one of said strips being similarly extended and bent, the first mentioned t' said extensions overlapping the other which latter also extends to the sides and end of the filler.

7. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, Wide flaps attached respectively to a lower edge of a selected strip, each of said flaps extending to the respective sides and in opposite directions to the respective ends of the filler.

8. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips, some of said strips having flaps attached thereto of sufficient Width and length to form a complete and rigid bottom for said filler, said strips and bottom flaps being substantially immovable with respect to each other.

9. In a filler for a crate, a plurality of interconnected strips extending transversely to each other forming spaces therebetween, means attached to one of said strips to cover a portion of the bottom of said filler, and means attached to another one of said strips, said second named means overlapping said first named means, and each extending to the same end of the filler.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at the borough of liianhattan, city, county and State of New York, this 26th day of November, 1920.

ALFRED A. HERBERMANN.

In the presence of- ISABEL It. FLETCHER. 

